So What is PD?
PD charging is a feature of the USB Power Delivery standard. According to Android Authority, USB PD was created as a single standard to power a variety of devices. It allows devices to draw up to 240 watts of power, which is significantly more than the 5 or 10 watts that most traditional chargers provide. This means that devices like your smartphone can charge up to 70% faster and more efficiently.USB-PD charging uses a communication protocol between the charger and the device being charged. When you connect your device to a USB-PD charger, the two devices essentially 'talk' to each other to determine the optimal voltage and current to provide to the device. This enables faster charging without damaging the device.
What is All the Buzz About?
One of the biggest advantages of PD charging is its compatibility with a wide range of devices. Another advantage of PD charging is that it allows for faster charging of larger devices – PD chargers can be used to power mobile devices, laptops, tablets, and even some gaming consoles. This is because PD chargers can provide more power than traditional chargers, allowing larger devices to charge more quickly.
So when is PD most beneficial? If you are charging a device overnight (your iPhone is a good example), PD charging doesn’t matter all that much since it’s sitting there for about 8 hours. Where PD really shines is when you need a ton of juice fast! Think about the time you got in the car, your phone is dead and you are heading out for the night. If you only have 15 minutes to make it happen, PD can be the difference between a phone that is good to go and one that is dead halfway through the night. I’m a frequent traveler so airport gates are another great example of when time might not be your best friend.
What Do You Need for PD to Work?
I’m sure most of you have a drawer full of older cables that are either USB-A to lightning (for iPhone) or USB-A to USB-C. You don’t need to throw these away, but they will not support modern speeds for PD wall blocks or car chargers. Power Delivery compatible cables are either USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to Lightning. These are necessary to carry the amount of power that your device and the charging source agree on providing.
Being that both Apple and Samsung no longer provide a charging block with the purchase of your device, these will all need to be purchased separately. Safety should always be your first concern, so make sure to purchase a recognizable name brand like cellhelmet that has committed to the appropriate certifications for your device. All apple certified cables for example will have the MFI logo on the packaging (MFI stands for “made for i…phone, pad, etc..)
Most smartphones that support PD today charge somewhere between 20-35 watts. You will need to check the specifications of your specific device to see what makes sense. If you purchased a block with more power than your phone can process, that is OK as it will only use what it needs.
For those of you who need power on the go, there are even PD compatible power banks as well like the 20k mAh version from cellhelmet that supports PD charging.
Conclusion
The good news is that all of your old chargers will still charge your device. The amazing news is that you can dramatically improve your charging performance by upgrading to PD and truly optimize how your phone or other device was engineered to perform.
cellhelmet is a manufacturer of premium wireless accessories and has been helping to protect and support mobile devices for the past eleven years. From an appearance on ABC’s hit TV show SharkTank to today, the company has been focused on delivering quality and innovation through our online channels and over 4,000 doors of retail distribution. If you would like to learn more, please visit us at www.cellhelmet.com and receive 20% off of your first purchase.